


Jar of Fireflies

by lonelycrescent



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji Needs a Hug, Canon Related, During Canon, Established Relationship, Fluff, Lots of it, M/M, POV Akaashi Keiji, Pro Volleyball Player Bokuto Koutarou, The author needs one too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28010058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelycrescent/pseuds/lonelycrescent
Summary: ...Because for as long as he had known him, Akaashi has kept all of Bokuto’s intricacies in his heart like fireflies in a jar. But does Bokuto do the same?(A story about shining eyes and reassurances.)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	Jar of Fireflies

Maybe it’s the way Bokuto’s eyes shine differently whenever he plays volleyball. Maybe it’s the way his eyes seem to  _ not shine  _ enough when he’s with him, that Akaashi feels like he might not be as significant as he thinks he is in Bokuto’s life.

He has long accepted that being with Bokuto would sometimes mean that he comes second, that he would sometimes have to give more than take, have to endure more than cherish. And he is okay with this, because  _this_ only means that most times it is he who comes first.

Sometimes he wonders if he’s built too much of his life around Bokuto. Because for as long as he had known him, Akaashi has kept all of Bokuto’s intricacies in his heart like fireflies in a jar. And whenever loneliness would come visit him at night, and there is no Bokuto to engulf him in his embrace—his body an assurance of warm mornings and even warmer futures—Akaashi would take the fireflies out, and let them comfort him until he settles into an easy sleep.

Does Bokuto—does Bokuto do the same? Does he also keep Akaashi’s nuances in his own little jar and save them for when he misses him? Or is the life of a star more than enough to keep him warm at night?

Akaashi finds out his answer later that night, when Bokuto quietly pads through their shared apartment and heads straight to the bedroom where Akaashi lies asleep. He hugs Akaashi from the back—tight enough for Akaashi to know that he’s  here , but not too tight, because he knows that Akaashi still likes his personal space.

And when Akaashi sighs from Bokuto’s gentle embrace, he would kiss the corner of Akaashi’s shoulder, in the exact place Bokuto  knows  he would like, and whispers a gentle, _ I’m home, Akaashi. _

At his words, Akaashi stirs awake to face him, wondering  _why the hell is Bokuto-san here in Osaka at 1 in the morning when he should be in Kyoto?_

He voices his concern the same time his eyes snap open. “Bokuto-san? Why are you here? Did something go wrong during the game?”

Bokuto props his head on one elbow, confused. He keeps his voice gentle though, so as not to startle a still-out-of-it Akaashi. “Of course not! We won, remember? You even called to congratulate me, Akaashiiiiiii!”

Of course he remembers. He was the first one to call Bokuto and congratulate him when they won their match against the Schweiden Adlers just earlier tonight. But Akaashi still can’t comprehend the situation. Maybe it’s because he’s still being chased by sleep, he doesn’t know.

“I remember…” Akaashi mutters, but doesn’t elaborate further.

Bokuto pouts like a child denied of cotton candy. Despite his hazy mind still trying to get freed from the shackles of his dreams, Akaashi notices this quirk to be one of the little fireflies that he keeps in his heart: Bokuto-san pouts and whines when Akaashi questions his actions first before voicing his appreciation, but he doesn’t really mean it seriously. It’s just Bokuto-san  _being_ Bokuto-san.

“Akaashiiiiiiiii! Why do you sound like you don’t want me here? I borrowed Omi-kun’s car for this, ya know!”

“You could’ve just caught the first train tomorrow instead of borrowing Sakusa-san’s car, Bokuto-san. Now you have to wash the car  _and_ disinfect the leather seats when you return it.”

“I know! It's alright though. Omi-kun’s such a pain sometimes, but he's the only one kind enough to lend me his car willingly.”

“But I still don’t get why you had to rush.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Akaashi immediately regrets saying them because it sounds  _so_ ungrateful and  _ so  _ unlike him to even be questioning Bokuto,  _ of all people _ , like this.

Turns out he didn’t need to worry though, because Bokuto only stares at him like he’s pointing out the most obvious thing—like rushing to Osaka in the middle of the night is but a visceral need—as easy as breathing—as normal as the sun and rain—

“Because I _missed_ you. And I  _know_ you did too.”

And with that one look, all of Akaashi’s doubts come crumbling away like sandcastles yielding to the gentle waves.

Because Bokuto knows him well enough to recognize that Akaashi’s minute silences from their late night video calls meant he missed him so much he's practically telling him to come home, so he rushes to Osaka the minute their game ends, not even bothering to rest or to wait for the first train the next morning.

Because Bokuto knows that Akaashi—with his perplexing and curious logic—would surely question him upon his arrival, so he decides to be patient until Akaashi finally  _ gets it _ and reciprocates his affections openly.

Because Bokuto also keeps his own little jar full of all the things he knows about Akaashi, and like him, he also feels like the light of these fireflies aren’t enough to keep him warm these days.

Because the life of a star will never warm him the same way the cradle of his world would. The same way Akaashi would.

And finally, all his insecurities crumble because he  realizes that Bokuto’s eyes  _do_ shine when he’s with Akaashi, and he just didn’t notice because he's gotten so used to it being  _always_ there.

Bokuto's eyes had  _ never not _ shined for him.

And so, Akaashi adds Bokuto’s shining eyes in his jar of fireflies and saves them for someday. But tonight, he knows he won’t be needing them. Because tonight, his Bokuto is home—he is here, warm and in the comfort of their embrace, his steady breathing reassuring Akaashi that he’s here to stay.

Akaashi kisses the top of Bokuto’s head, and before they go to sleep, he whispers, “I missed you. Welcome home, Bokuto-san.”

-fin-

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaand it's done! I've always thought that because of all of Akaashi's "train of thoughts" during matches in the manga he would be the one to have anxieties and insecurities if he's ever in a romantic relationship, so this fic was born.
> 
> Things like this also happen in real life when your partner is always aiming high and you're... just you. So, I think, during those times of insecurities, reassurance is all that we need. Bokuto might not have reassured Akaashi with words, but the strength of his embrace surely put Akaashi's broken pieces together and patched him whole.
> 
> I'd love to see what you think of my work! Thank you sm for reading T.T
> 
> Let's talk on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/koushikage_)!


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